Neurocognitive Deficits and Recovery in Chronic Alcohol Abuse

The excessive and chronic use of alcohol is associated with a variety of neurocognitive changes in a substantial number of detoxified alcoholics. These deficits extend across a wide variety of neuropsychological domains and can be observed over a period of months following detoxification. Furthermore, they are seen in both male and female alcoholics, despite the fact that female alcoholics often have shorter drinking histories. Although these deficits are widely observed, there is considerable heterogeneity both within and across studies. Currently, the sources of this variability are only poorly understood. In this article, we review these neurocognitive and neurophysiological deficits, their pattern of recovery, potential contributing or confounding factors, and some of the clinical implications of these findings.